Barcelona look to keep pace with first place Real Madrid in the La Liga table when they travel to the Estadio El Sadar this weekend to take on Osasuna.
Barca have not been beaten in 2012, but they have drawn twice thus far and cannot afford to drop many more points with Madrid in good form and seven points ahead in the table.
Osasuna was beaten 6-1 on aggregate during their round of 16 Copa del Rey fixture against Barcelona, and lost to the Catalan giants 8-0 in the league back on September 17.
Let's look at everything you need to know about this awesome Spanish football matchup.
Where: Estadio El Sadar, Pamplona, Spain
Watch: GolTV, Sky Sports HD4
When: Saturday, Feb. 11 at 20:00 p.m.
Most Important Player to Watch: Lionel Messi
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is the best football player in the world and is worth every penny of your ticket each match.
Messi is so good at making fantastic runs toward goal with his great speed and dribbling moves, and he is a nightmare to defend anywhere on the pitch.
His left foot is magical and he can strike some incredible shots with it that end up finding their way into the back of the net.
One underrated part of Messi's amazing skill set is his incredible passing ability. He scores a ton of goals, but he also excels as a brilliant playmaker.
Key Matchup: Osasuna Fullbacks vs. Barcelona Wing Players
Barcelona has several players who excel on the flans of the pitch and give the team great width on the sides of the pitch.
At forward, Pedro and Alexis Sanchez give Barcelona great speed and playmaking from the wings and are always a threat to score.
On defense, right back Dani Alves is one of the best attacking defenders in the world, and his speedy runs down the sideline cause lots of problems for defenses, especially when he's allowed to cross the ball into the penalty area.
Osasuna must defend the outside of the pitch well to have a chance to upset Barcelona this weekend.
What They're Saying
Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola is quite excited his team has reached the final of the Copa del Rey, where they will face Athletic Bilbao.
"We are excited to be back in another cup final," Guardiola said. "It's a very prestigious competition and we are looking forward to it.
"It'll be a final between the two best Spanish cup teams in history. I think it will be a fascinating final."
Prediction: Barcelona Win 4-0
Barcelona has outscored Osasuna 14-1 this season in three matches, one in the league and two in the Copa del Rey.
The Catalan club has too much firepower for the Osasuna defense to contain, and with Barcelona sure to dominate possession, there is very little chance they are upset.
Barcelona is also motivated to keep pace with Real Madrid in the table, who hold an astounding seven-point lead at the top.
Sursa : http://bleacherreport.com
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